Working for the UK higher education sector

Guide toThe Bologna Process

The UK HE Europe Unit

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Introduction

This booklet seeks to provide the UK higher education (HE) sector with anauthoritative guide to the Bologna Process to create the European HigherEducation Area. It aims to help the sector to engage with the Bologna Processand to benefit from the opportunities it creates. Clarifying key ministerialagreements, it dispels the myths surrounding the consequences of ‘Bologna’ forthe UK and indicates sources of further information.

The Bologna Declaration which aimed to create the ‘European Higher EducationArea’ (EHEA) by 2010 was signed in 1999 by Baroness Blackstone, former UKMinister for higher education, and Ministers from 28 other European countries.Through specific objectives, the Bologna Process is working towards developing acoherent European higher education (HE) space to foster employability andmobility in Europe. It also aims to increase the competitiveness of Europeanhigher education in the world.

While in 1999 the UK was already engaged in actions which would fulfil theBologna objectives, the 2001 Prague ministerial Communiqué reviewing progressin the Bologna Process, introduced new areas of action to which the UK HEsector is responding. In just over four years the Process has grown from sixobjectives, known as ‘action lines’, to ten and now has over 40 signatorycountries. The Bologna Process now includes actions to be implemented under arange of policy areas, including quality assurance, credit transfer andaccumulation, lifelong learning and, more recently, doctoral-level qualificationsand joint degrees.

If UK interests are to be fully voiced in debates on these important issues, it isvital that the UK HE sector engages in the Process in the lead-up to the nextministerial summit taking place in Bergen, Norway, in May 2005. Failure to do socould mean UK HE loses out on the potential benefits and opportunities offeredby the creation of the European Higher Education Area. The European UniversityAssociation Convention of European Higher Education Institutions taking place inGlasgow on 31 March – 2 April 2005 provides an important opportunity for UKinstitutions to influence the next phase of the Bologna Process.

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‘Bologna’ aims to facilitate and promote greater mobility so that students willacquire the skills employers are looking for, such as cultural maturity, increasedconfidence and language skills. It provides a useful forum for networking andexchange of good practice across Europe. Crucially, a UK HE sector firmlyembedded in the coherent European Higher Education Area of 40 countries willenable institutions to enhance their European and international profile.

This booklet will be updated following the ministerial summit in Bergen with thesupport of the Europe Unit’s stakeholders, including the Funding Councils forEngland, Scotland and Wales, The Quality Assurance Agency and the StandingConference of Principals. It is designed to provide guidance on specific issues butalso a general overview of the Bologna Process. I hope you find it helpful.

Tish BourkeManager,UK HE Europe Unit

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Contents

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Key dates in the Bologna Process

Decision-making in the Bologna Process

Key players

Action line 1Adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees

Action Line 2Adoption of a system essentially based on two cycles

Action Line 3Establishment of a system of credits

Action Line 4Promotion of mobility

Action Line 5Promotion of European cooperation in quality assurance

Action Line 6Promotion of the European dimension in higher education

Action Line 7Lifelong learning

Action Line 8Higher education institutions and students

Action Line 9Promotion of the attractiveness of the European Higher Education Area

Action Line 10Doctoral studies and the synergy between the European Higher EducationArea (EHEA) and the European Research Area (ERA)

Glossary

Key dates in the Bologna Process

1998 – Sorbonne DeclarationThe Sorbonne Declaration in 1998, signed by Ministers responsible for highereducation in France, Germany, Italy and the UK, identified the building blocks forthe Bologna Process. This was the first step in agreeing that European highereducation systems should be coherent and compatible to strengthen recognitionof qualifications and international competitiveness of European higher education.The Declaration included calls for a two-cycle (undergraduate/postgraduate)degree structure and the use of credits.

1999 – Bologna DeclarationIn 1999, Ministers from 29 European countries, including the UK, met in Bolognaand signed a Declaration establishing a European Higher Education Area by 2010.The initial broad objectives of the Bologna Process became: to remove theobstacles to student mobility across Europe; to enhance the attractiveness ofEuropean higher education worldwide; to establish a common structure of highereducation systems across Europe, and; for this common structure to be based ontwo main cycles, undergraduate and graduate. This in turn would lead to greatertransparency and recognition of qualifications.

2001 – Creation of the European University AssociationAt a meeting in Salamanca, Spain, the Association of European Universities andthe Confederation of European Union Rectors' Conferences merged to create theEuropean University Association (EUA). As a single organisation serving andrepresenting the university community in Europe, the EUA provides a strongervoice and a more powerful presence for institutions in the Bologna Process.

2001 – Prague ministerial summitMinisters from 32 Bologna signatory countries met in Prague for the first biennialsummit to assess progress made according to the action lines set out in theBologna Declaration. Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the BolognaProcess. They welcomed the involvement of a number of new actors: theEuropean University Association (EUA), National Union of Students in Europe(ESIB), European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) andthe European Commission. Ministers agreed on three new action lines to add tothe six in the Bologna Declaration: a focus on lifelong learning, the inclusion ofhigher education institutions and students in the process, and the promotion ofthe attractiveness of the European Higher Education Area.

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2003 – Berlin ministerial summitThe second Bologna ministerial review summit took place in Berlin in 2003.Ministers called for a focus on three intermediate priorities for the next twoyears: quality assurance, the two-cycle system and the recognition of degreesand periods of study. The development of an overarching European HEqualifications framework alongside national qualifications frameworks and theaward of the Diploma Supplement by all HEIs by 2005 were also called for.Ministers considered it necessary to go beyond the focus on two main cycles ofhigher education and agreed on a new action line: to include the doctoral level asthe ‘third cycle’ in the Bologna Process to build links between the EuropeanHigher Education and Research Areas. Ministers accepted requests formembership of the Bologna Process from countries in southeast Europe andRussia, expanding the Process to 40 European countries.

2005 – Bergen ministerial summitThe next ministerial summit will take place in Bergen, Norway, on 19-20 May2005 and is likely to welcome further new members to the Bologna Process. The UK is likely to host the 2007 ministerial summit.

Further information The full texts of Bologna Process ministerial agreements can be found at:www.bologna-bergen2005.no/

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Decision-making in the Bologna Process

An intergovernmental processDecision-making in the Bologna Process is carried out through an‘intergovernmental’ process by Ministers from signatory countries meeting atbiennial summits to move the Process forward. It is not administered by theEuropean Commission as competence for education lies with European Union(EU) member states. Decisions are reached by the consensus of the 40 signatorycountries involved. This approach acknowledges the diversity in Europe’s highereducation systems.

Ministerial summitsThe most important forum in the decision-making process is the two-yearlyministerial review of ‘Bologna’, when education Ministers from each signatorycountry meet to assess progress and to plot the course for the near future. Thenext ministerial summit will take place in May 2005 in Bergen, following those inPrague in 2001 and in Berlin in 2003.

The ministerial summits are supported by two groups: The Bologna Follow-UpGroup and the Bologna Board.

The Bologna Follow-Up GroupThe Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) consists of representatives from all 40Bologna signatory countries. The Group is chaired by the current EU Presidency,with the host country of the next ministerial summit as Vice-Chair. The BFUG’srole is to help signatory countries to follow up on the recommendations made atthe ministerial summits. The Group produces an official work programme ofseminars on priority issues between ministerial summits.

The Bologna BoardThe Bologna Board is smaller and is chaired by the current EU Presidency withthe host of the forthcoming ministerial summit as Vice-Chair. Previous andsucceeding EU Presidencies are represented and three participating countriesare elected by the Bologna Follow-up Group for one year.

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Role of the European CommissionMembership of the Bologna Process extends beyond the EU to forty signatorycountries. As such, the Bologna Process is conducted outside the framework ofthe EU. However, it is important to note that the majority of signatory countries(25 countries following the recent enlargement of the EU) are EU member states.The Commission’s competence in the education sphere is based on Article 149 ofthe EU Treaty which entitles the Community "to contribute to the development ofquality education by encouraging co-operation between member states". TheCommission sees an important role for the Bologna Process in achieving theobjectives of the EU’s so-called ‘Lisbon Strategy’ to make the EU ‘the mostcompetitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010’. EUmoves towards enhanced European cooperation in vocational education andtraining through the so-called ‘Bruges-Copenhagen Process’ are inextricablylinked to the Bologna Process.

Bologna signatory countries have granted the European Commission a specialstatus as a full member of the BFUG and the Bologna Board. This status and theEuropean Commission’s role as a source of funding for Bologna projects givesthe Commission considerable influence in the Bologna Process.

Other organisationsThe Council of Europe (CoE), the European University Association (EUA), theEuropean Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) and theNational Union of Students in Europe (ESIB) are consultative members of boththe BFUG and the Bologna Board. The United Nations Educational, Scientific andCultural Organization European Centre for Higher Education (UNESCO-CEPES) isa consultative member of the BFUG. This arrangement has enabled theseimportant stakeholders to play an active role in Bologna Process decision-making.

Further informationMembers of the Bologna Follow-Up Group and the Bologna Board:www.bologna-bergen2005.no

European Commission:europa.eu.int/comm/education/policies/educ/bologna/bologna_en.html.

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Key Players

In the UK…

Government – Ministers from the UK attend biennial Bologna ministerialsummits. Officials from the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), and theScottish Executive, are members of the Bologna Follow-Up Group. As holders ofthe Presidency of the European Union during the second half of 2005 and aslikely hosts of the 2007 Bologna ministerial summit, UK Government officials willhold a place on the smaller Bologna Board from January 2005 to December 2006.www.dfes.gov.uk www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education

The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) – QAA plays an active role in the BolognaProcess, notably in European level debates on quality assurance andaccreditation. QAA is represented on the Board of the European Association forQuality Assurance in Higher Education. www.qaa.ac.uk

The UK HE Europe Unit – The Unit coordinates UK HE sector involvement in theBologna Process and other European initiatives and policy debates. See page 40for more details. www.europeunit.ac.uk

UK Socrates-Erasmus Council (UKSEC) – UKSEC administers the EU Socrates-Erasmus programme in the UK, providing information to higher educationinstitutions (HEIs) and students on the EU’s education and training programmes.UKSEC plays an active role in European HE debates, projects and events. It isresponsible for the administration of the UK’s national Bologna Promoters whichare listed on the UKSEC website. Funded by the European Commission, thePromoters provide advice and support to institutions on the Bologna Process,notably on the Diploma Supplement and the European Credit Transfer System.www.erasmus.ac.uk

National Recognition Information Centre (UK NARIC) - UK NARIC is a nationalagency under contract to the DfES. It is the official source of information andadvice on the comparability of international qualifications from over 180countries worldwide with those in the UK. UK NARIC provides information abouteducation systems and qualifications to HEIs, professional bodies andcommercial organisations. www.naric.org.uk

Engineering Council UK (EC UK) – EC UK regulates the engineering profession inthe UK and formally represents the interests of UK engineers abroad. EC UK isparticipating in a EU-funded project which intends to propose a framework forsetting up a European system for accreditation of engineering education.www.engc.org.uk

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At European Level…

European Commission (EC) - Bologna is an intergovernmental process and, assuch, the EC does not have competence to legislate on the Bologna Process.However, the EC is having a growing influence over the Process by participatingin Bologna decision-making forums and by funding a range of Bologna projects.www.europa.eu.int/comm/education/index_en.html

European University Association (EUA) – The EUA is a consultative member ofthe Bologna Follow-Up Group and Board. It is the representative organisation ofboth the European universities and the national rectors' conferences. The EUAhas 702 members in 45 countries across Europe. Around 80 UK universities aremembers, as well as Universities UK whose Chief Executive and President sit onthe EUA Council. www.eua.be

European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) –EURASHE is a consultative member of the Bologna Follow-Up Group and Board.It is the European representative organisation of higher education institutions.The Standing Conference of Principles (SCOP) is a member and sits on theEURASHE Executive Council. www.eurashe.be

The National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB) – ESIB is a consultativemember of the Bologna Follow-Up Group and Board. It is the umbrellaorganisation of 48 national unions of students from 36 countries. The NationalUnion of Students (NUS) is a member and sits on the ESIB Executive Committee.www.esib.org

The Council of Europe (CoE) - The CoE is an observer on the Bologna Follow-UpGroup and Board. It makes important contributions to the Bologna Process,notably through the COE/UNESCO Lisbon Convention on the Recognition ofQualifications. It provides a bridge to countries not yet party to the BolognaProcess and the EU, as well as a platform for debate between ministries andacademics. The Council of Europe holds its annual higher education plenarysession each autumn which is attended by a UK government and highereducation sector representative. www.coe.int

European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) –ENQA’s members are currently public authorities, associations of HEIs andquality assurance agencies. The UK’s QAA is a member. The Berlin ministerialCommuniqué mandates ENQA "to develop an agreed set of standards,procedures and guidelines on quality assurance, to explore ways of ensuring anadequate peer review system for quality assurance and/or accreditation agenciesor bodies, and to report back through the Follow-up Group to Ministers in 2005."www.enqa.net

The ENIC-NARIC Network – The ENIC-NARIC Network is made up of nationalrecognition information centres in EU member states (the NARICs) and those innon-EU European countries (the ENICs). The network provides a forum forexchange of information on recognition issues. The network is part of the EU’sSocrates-Erasmus programme which stimulates the mobility of students andstaff between higher education institutions in these countries. www.enic-naric.net

UNESCO European Centre for Higher Education (UNESCO-CEPES) - UNESCO-CEPES promotes co-operation in higher education in Europe with a particularfocus on Central and Eastern Europe. It is a consultative member of the BolognaFollow-Up Group. www.cepes.ro

The Bologna Secretariat - The country hosting the forthcoming Bolognaministerial summit provides a Secretariat for the Bologna Process. TheSecretariat has administrative and operational responsibility for the nextministerial conference. It carries out secretarial functions for the BolognaFollow-Up Group and Board. www.bologna-bergen2005.no

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Action line 1

Adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees

IntroductionThe establishment of readable and comparable degrees across Europe underpinsmany of the Bologna Process reforms. The improved flexibility and transparencyprovided by degrees that can be easily read and compared with qualificationsacross Europe enables students and teachers to have their qualificationsrecognised more widely. This facilitates freedom of movement around a moretransparent EHEA. The readability of European degrees will enhance theattractiveness of European HE to the rest of the world.

Recent developmentsThe Bologna Process sees an important role for the Diploma Supplement inrealising this action line. The Berlin ministerial summit in 2003 called for "everystudent graduating as from 2005 to receive the Diploma Supplementautomatically and free of charge". The Diploma Supplement is a document to beissued to students by their higher education institutions on graduation. It iswidely used in many Bologna signatory countries and aims to describe thequalification received in a standard format that is easy to understand and easy tocompare. It also describes the content of the qualification and the structure ofthe higher education system within which it was issued. It is not a curriculumvitae and simply acts as a supplementary explanation of the qualificationcertificate rather than a substitute for it. The European Commission has recentlypublished a proposal for a 'Europass’, an online document providing a singleframework for the recognition of qualifications and competences across Europeincorporating the Diploma Supplement and other existing transparencyinstruments.

The Bologna Process requires all signatory countries to ratify the “Convention onthe Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the EuropeanRegion”. It was formulated by the Council of Europe in Lisbon and is henceusually referred to as the ‘Lisbon Convention’. The Convention states that nodiscrimination should be made against holders of qualifications across Europeancountries. Access to further HE study and use of an academic title should begranted to holders of qualifications on the same grounds as citizens from thecountry where recognition is sought. It places responsibility to demonstrate thatan application does not meet the requirements for further higher education studywith the institution making the assessment. The Convention also encourages allsignatory countries to issue the Diploma Supplement to their graduatingstudents.

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UK responseThe UK ratified the Lisbon Convention in 2003. UK HEIs are engaging with therequirements of the Diploma Supplement and a number of institutions havealready introduced it. Progress in introducing the Diploma Supplement has beenaffected by data collection and cost issues but there is growing acceptance thatstudents graduating in the UK should be able to benefit from the enhancedrecognition and mobility that the Diploma Supplement brings. The Transcriptelement of the Progress File is similar to the Diploma Supplement apart from asmall number of data fields and the sequence for the information it provides. TheUK HE Europe Unit, in collaboration with other stakeholders, is advising thesector on issuing the Diploma Supplement and UK institutions are encouraged toproceed with issuing the Diploma Supplement as soon as possible. A nationaldescription of the higher education systems in England, Wales and NorthernIreland is available to help HEIs issuing the Diploma Supplement. Scotland isproducing a separate national description. Both descriptions are available on theUK NARIC's website. The UK Socrates-Erasmus Council (UKSEC) supportsinstitutions in using funds under the Organisation of Mobility heading in theirErasmus grant to introduce the Diploma Supplement and through administeringthe UK Bologna Promoters who advise institutions on issuing the DiplomaSupplement (see UKSEC website below for details).

The European Commission awards the Diploma Supplement Label to institutionsissuing the Diploma Supplement correctly.

Differences in the length of Masters qualifications across Europe have thepotential to create recognition difficulties for UK Masters graduates. While manyEuropean countries offer Masters programmes lasting two years, in the UK andsome other Bologna signatory countries one-year Masters degrees are common.The UK also operates some integrated four-year courses leading directly to aMasters qualification (for example, MEng, MSci, MPhys, MChem), and is not alonein offering this kind of course. The Bologna Process seminar on Master-levelDegrees in Helsinki, Finland, in 2003 recommended that there should continue tobe flexibility in the definition of second-cycle/Masters programmes and thatthese should be defined in ECTS terms as programmes from 60 ECTS credits to120 (i.e. one academic year to two academic years). The requirements for theErasmus-Mundus Programme for joint Masters programmes reflect the Helsinkirecommendation (i.e. 60-120 ECTS credits). Those UK institutions which arecurrently using ECTS for their Masters Programmes and which have Masterslasting for one calendar year or, in some cases, slightly longer, tend to use 90ECTS credits. 15

The UK approach to study programmes focuses on learning outcomes and the UK’sBologna seminar on the topic in Edinburgh in July 2004 recognised the primacy oflearning outcomes. It is important that all those involved in the Bologna Processshould recognise that the process allows for continued flexibility both at first cycleand second cycle level and that this flexibility is particularly valuable for thediversity of students and learning pathways which are developing.

Further informationUK HE Europe Notes E/04/10, E/04/14 and E/04/18 on the Diploma Supplement andE/04/17 on the Masters degree: www.europeunit.ac.uk

European Commission Diploma Supplement guidelines:www.europa.eu.int/comm/education/policies/rec_qual/recognition/diploma_en.html

European Commission Diploma Supplement Label:www.europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/socrates/ects/guide_en.pdf

Diploma Supplement national description for England, Wales and Northern Ireland:www.naric.org.uk/ds.asp

The Lisbon Convention: www.conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/165.htm

UK Bologna seminar on ‘Using Learning Outcomes’: www.bologna-bergen2005.no

Europass:www.europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/europass/index_en.html

UK Socrates-Erasmus Council, including list of UK Bologna Promoters:www.erasmus.ac.uk

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Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, hosted the UK’s Bologna seminar on ‘Using Learning Outcomes’.Photographer: Laurence Winram

Action Line 2

Adoption of a system essentially based on two cyclesincluding qualifications frameworks

IntroductionThe Bologna Process requires the adoption of a system based on two cycles(undergraduate and graduate). The Bologna Declaration stated that the first cycleshould last a minimum of three years while no length is specified for the secondcycle Masters qualification. This has required extensive restructuring of highereducation systems in many European countries. Ministers from Bolognasignatory countries have recognised the value of qualifications frameworks inmaking Europe’s HE qualifications more transparent and compatible with oneanother. Qualifications frameworks at national and at European level have thepotential to make mobility and qualification recognition across Europe easier.

Recent developmentsFollowing progress across Europe in establishing a two-cycle system, Ministersat the Berlin ministerial summit in 2003 called on the Bologna Follow-Up Groupto explore how to link shorter HE programmes, such as the UK’s Foundationdegrees, to the first cycle.

Also in Berlin, Ministers called on signatory countries to establish nationalqualifications frameworks by 2005, "which should seek to describe qualificationsin terms of workload, level, learning outcomes, competences and profile". AtEuropean level, the summit called for the elaboration of "an overarchingframework of qualifications for Europe". A sub-group of the Bologna Follow-UpGroup is responding to the call and has agreed that the so-called ‘DublinDescriptors’ – generic qualifications descriptors for Europe – should be includedin such a framework. Key issues which are being addressed concern the scope ofsuch a framework and whether credit should be included. The group will makerecommendations to the ministerial summit in Bergen in May 2005.

Work is also underway on qualifications frameworks within the so-called Bruges-Copenhagen Process on enhanced European cooperation in vocational educationand training (VET). Launched in 2002 in Copenhagen, the Bruges-CopenhagenProcess includes 31 European countries and aims to introduce commonreference levels for VET in Europe. A follow-up ministerial summit in Maastrichtin 2004 called for the introduction of a credit system (ECVET) for vocationaleducation and training. The European Commission has recently set up an ‘ExpertGroup on a European Qualifications Framework’ to bring together the initiativesin both the Bologna and Bruges-Copenhagen Processes and "produce a blueprintof a European qualifications framework".

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UK responseUnlike many Bologna countries at the signing of the Bologna Declaration in 1999,the UK already had a two-cycle system in place. The three-year Bachelor degreefollowed by the one or two-year Masters results in a minimum of four yearsstudy. In Scotland, the four-year Bachelor's degree with Honours is followed bythe one-year Masters.

The UK has several qualifications frameworks in place. There is a Framework forHigher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (EWNI),which meets the criteria set out in the Berlin Communiqué. The comprehensiveScottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) incorporates all Scottishqualifications, and Wales is currently embedding a lifelong learning Credit andQualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW). The Framework for HigherEducation Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland does notincorporate all HE study or credit.

The UK is keen that any framework for qualifications for Europe should be overarching and flexible and should allow national qualifications frameworks toarticulate with one another. If credit is to be included, it should be allocated onthe basis of the learning outcomes of periods of study alongside notional learningeffort or hours studied, to ensure that the programmes concerned can feasibly bestudied. The role of levels and level descriptors in the European Credit TransferSystem needs clarification. Activity on qualifications frameworks within theBologna and Bruges-Copenhagen Processes should complement and notduplicate one another. For current information on the debate on qualificationsframeworks please contact the UK HE Europe Unit at: info@europeunit.ac.uk.

Further informationThe Bruges-Copenhagen Process:www.europa.eu.int/comm/education/copenhagen/index_en.html

Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SHEFC): www.shefc.ac.uk

Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW):www.elwa.ac.uk/elwaweb/elwa.aspx?pageid=1612

Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England:www.qaa.ac.uk/public/heguide/guide.htm#22

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Action Line 3

Establishment of a system of credits

IntroductionAt the outset the Bologna Process saw the introduction of a European creditsystem as contributing to the removal of obstacles to academic mobility andfacilitating mutual recognition of qualifications and periods of study. Credit isseen to have an important role to play in curriculum design and in validating arange of learning in an era of lifelong learning. The European Credit TransferSystem (ECTS) was introduced by the European Commission to facilitaterecognition of exchange programmes under its Socrates-Erasmus programme.ECTS is used widely across Bologna signatory countries as a mechanism for bothtransfer and accumulation.

Recent developmentsThe Berlin ministerial summit in 2003 called for the European Credit TransferSystem (ECTS) to be used as a transfer and accumulation system across Europe.Ongoing discussions are taking place in the Bologna Follow-Up Group workinggroup on qualifications frameworks and in other decision-making forums overwhether a framework of qualifications for Europe should incorporate credit andhow credit should be allocated to periods of study.

UK response In the UK, credit is used universally in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.Scotland and Wales have credit transfer and accumulation systems in placewithin integrated credit and qualifications frameworks: the Scottish Credit andQualifications Framework (SCQF) and the Credit and Qualifications Frameworkfor Wales (CQFW). Many institutions in England use credit for transferringbetween programmes or institutions, and use ECTS for transfers within Europe.Some consortia of English institutions use credit for accumulation. The report ofthe ‘Measuring and Recording Student Achievement Scoping Group’, chaired byProfessor Burgess, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, was publishedin November 2004 and called for efforts to be made to develop a common highereducation credit system for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A new steeringgroup representing higher education institutions and HE stakeholders has beenconvened to consider how the recommendations can be taken forward.

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There are issues to be resolved concerning the practical implications of ECTSdeveloping into an accumulation system for Europe.The UK favours the use ofcredit in the European higher education area to take account of the learningoutcomes of periods of study alongside notional workload or ‘hours studied’. Thiswill be important in the debate on whether to incorporate credit into aqualifications framework for Europe. For up-to-date information on the ongoingdiscussions on credit in the Bologna Process please contact:info@europeunit.ac.uk.

The European Commission awards the ECTS Label to institutions applying ECTScorrectly. The Label raises the profile of the institution as a transparent andreliable partner in European and international cooperation. UK BolognaPromoters support institutions in using ECTS.

Further information Report of the ‘Measuring and Recording Student Achievement Scoping Group’:bookshop.universitiesuk.ac.uk/downloads/measuringachievement.pdf

European Commission ECTS Users’ Guide:www.europa.eu.int/socra/education/programmes/socrates/usersg_en.html

UK National Academic Recognition Information Centre (UK NARIC) –www.naric.org.uk

ENIC-NARIC networks: www.enic-naric.net

Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF): www.scqf.org.uk

Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW):www.elwa.ac.uk/elwaweb/elwa.aspx?pageid=1612

Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England:www.qaa.ac.uk/public/heguide/guide.htm#22

UK Bologna Promoters and the ECTS Label: www.erasmus.ac.uk

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Action Line 4

Promotion of mobility

IntroductionThe "promotion of mobility by overcoming obstacles to the effective exercise offree movement" was one of the founding objectives of the Bologna Processfeaturing in the 1999 Bologna Declaration. Ministers at the Berlin ministerialsummit in 2003 identified mobility of students, academics and administrativestaff as "the basis for establishing the EHEA". Bologna Process reforms, such asgreater use of credit, the development of qualifications frameworks andEuropean quality assurance all facilitate mobility in Europe by creating a highereducation area built on trust and high quality HE.

Recent developmentsThe European Union administers a series of mobility programmes to encouragestudents and scholars from all over Europe to spend time in the higher educationinstitutions of other EU countries and beyond. The European Commission hasrecently published proposals for a new Integrated Action Programme for LifelongLearning. The programme will run from 2007-2013 replacing the current EUSocrates programme. The proposal includes targets for substantial increases inteacher and student mobility with the goal of reaching three million participantsby 2010.

The Bologna Process is also considering funding of mobile students, notably at aBologna seminar in Nordwijk on ‘Designing Policies for Mobile Students’ inOctober 2004. It is likely that work in this area will continue following the 2005ministerial summit in Bergen.

UK response The UK welcomes efforts to make student and staff mobility in Europe easier.Greater mobility brings increased career opportunities for students and teachersin the European employment market. The UK HE Europe Unit has gathered viewsfrom the UK sector on the European Commission’s proposal for a new mobilityprogramme. Stakeholders from across the UK have welcomed the proposedincrease in funding for the programmes. Decentralisation of funding andadministration procedures to national agencies is also wholly desirable. ManyHEIs have stressed the importance of the quality of the mobility experience,alongside the need to increase participation. It is important that future mobilityprogrammes are adapted to a new student cohort of lifelong learners, part-timeand mature students and that they maintain flexibility in length of student timespent abroad. For up-to-date information on the proposed new Integrated ActionProgramme please contact: info@europeunit.ac.uk

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Further informationThe European Union’s Lisbon strategy:www.europa.eu.int/comm/lisbon_strategy/index_en.html

European Commission proposals for the new generation of education andtraining programmes:www.europa.eu.int/comm/education/doc/official/keydoc/2004/newprog_en.pdf

Europe Note number E/04/15 on the ‘New generation of European Commissioneducation and training programmes’: www.europeunit.ac.uk

UK Socrates Erasmus Council (UKSEC): www.erasmus.ac.uk

Bologna seminar on ‘Designing Policies for Mobile Students’, October 2004:http://www.bologna-bergen2005.no/EN/Bol_sem/Seminars/041010-12Noordwijk-Nederlands.HTM

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© European Community, 2005

Action Line 5

Promotion of European cooperation in quality assurance

IntroductionQuality assurance plays a central role in achieving the Bologna objective toenhance the international competitiveness of European higher education.European cooperation in quality assurance will make it easier to comparequalifications across Europe and will facilitate mobility. All Bologna ministerialcommuniqués have made reference to quality assurance.

Recent developmentsQuality assurance was made a priority at the Berlin ministerial summit in 2003.Ministers stressed that primary responsibility for quality assurance lies with eachhigher education institution. They set down requirements for national qualityassurance systems which are broadly compatible with arrangements across theUK.

Also in Berlin, Ministers gave a mandate to the European Network for QualityAssurance in Higher Education (ENQA), now an association for exchange ofpractice in quality assurance. The UK’s Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) isrepresented on the Board of ENQA and plays an active role in European debateson quality assurance. ENQA was asked to:

"develop an agreed set of standards, procedures and guidelines on qualityassurance, to explore ways of ensuring an adequate peer review system forquality assurance and/or accreditation agencies or bodies, and to report backthrough the Follow-up Group to Ministers in 2005."

In doing this, ENQA was asked to cooperate with European representatives ofhigher education institutions and students: European University Association(EUA); European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE); andthe National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB). ENQA will report back findingsto Ministers at the next ministerial summit in Bergen in May 2005. For up-to-dateinformation on the ENQA discussions, please contact: comms@qaa.ac.uk.

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The European Commission participates in debates on quality assurance and inOctober 2004 it published a ‘Proposal for a Recommendation’ on furthercooperation in EU HE quality assurance. Following an earlier proposal in 1998,the Recommendation sets out five steps to achieve mutual recognition of qualityassurance systems in Europe: a requirement for internal quality assurancemechanisms; a common set of standards, procedures and guidelines; a Europeanregister of quality assurance and accreditation agencies; freedom for highereducation institutions to choose their quality assurance or accreditation agencieswith a requirement for EU member states to accept the judgements of anyagency on the register for purposes of licensing or funding. The EuropeanCommission’s Recommendation will contribute to Bologna Process debates onquality assurance.

There have also been developments in the area of professional accreditation. Insome continental countries the licence to practise is included in the award of theHE qualification. The European Commission has recently pledged funding for aproject to develop a pan-European accreditation process for engineering. TheEuropean Consortium for Accreditation (ECA) is an association of twelvecountries willing to accredit professional qualifications often leading to both theaward of the degree and licence to practise professionally. The objective of ECA isthe achievement of mutual recognition of accreditation decisions among itsmember countries.

The European Commission-funded project, Tuning Educational Structures inEurope, is contributing to the Bologna Process by identifying generic and subjectspecific competences. The various phases of the Tuning project includeparticipants from around 130 HEIs across Europe and play an important role indeveloping mutual trust and understanding of qualifications across Europe.

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UK response The UK hopes that developments at European level will have a positive impact onquality assurance developments in the UK. While quality assurancearrangements in many European countries are based on subject review andaccreditation, the UK would be opposed to the development of a single, intrusiveor bureaucratic quality assurance agency at European level. There is a need toincrease understanding of the benefits of the UK approach of institution-ledquality assurance with a clear focus on quality enhancement. The Scottish HEsector is implementing the 'enhancement-led institutional review (ELIR)'approach to quality assurance. The UK supports work in the EUA’s QualityCulture Project, which contains useful recommendations for European qualityassurance. The project focuses on embedding systematic and coherent qualityculture in HEIs in line with Bologna objectives. The project findings have a helpfulemphasis on the improvement and development of quality.

In the UK an academic qualification is followed by participation in structuredindustrial training programmes or supervised professional practice inemployment, resulting in membership of professional and statutory bodies.Professional bodies carry out subject accreditation in as light a form as possible.There is a need to explain the UK approach to professional accreditation in orderto avoid recognition difficulties in the future.

The European Commission has an important contribution to make to BolognaProcess debates on quality assurance; however, more detail is needed on thepracticalities of the Commission’s draft Recommendation’s proposal to allowHEIs the ability to choose a QA body from a European register. The UK HE sectoris currently considering the details of the Commission’s Recommendation withthe Government. Developments in quality assurance in Europe should continue tobe led by institutions and key stakeholders in higher education. For up-to-dateinformation on the Commission’s Recommendation please contact:info@europeunit.ac.uk.

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Further informationEuropean Commission’s Proposal for a Recommendation on quality assurance:europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/lip/latest/doc/2004/com2004_0642en01.doc.

European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA):www.enqa.net

EUA Quality Culture Project: www.eua.be/eua/en/projects_quality.jspx

Europe Note E/04/04 on the ‘Berlin ministerial summit on the Bologna Process’:www.europeunit.ac.uk

Joint Quality Initiative (JQI): www.jointquality.org

Quality Assurance Agency: www.qaa.ac.uk

Tuning Educational Structures in Europe Project:www.relint.deusto.es/TUNINGProject/index_phase2.htm

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Action Line 6

Promotion of the European dimension in higher education

IntroductionSince its launch in 1999 the Bologna Process has called for curriculumdevelopment, inter-institutional cooperation, mobility schemes and integratedprogrammes of study, training and research to add a European dimension tohigher education in signatory countries.

Recent developmentsAt the Berlin summit in 2003, Ministers agreed at national level to "removeobstacles to the establishment and recognition of such degrees (joint degrees),and to support the development and adequate quality assurance of integratedcurricula leading to joint degrees".

The Council of Europe and UNESCO have recently approved a Recommendationon the Recognition of Joint Degrees as an amendment to the Lisbon RecognitionConvention. The Recommendation was discussed at the 2004 Bologna seminaron Joint Degrees in Stockholm and is likely to be endorsed by Ministers at theforthcoming summit in Bergen in 2005.

The European University Association (EUA) ‘Joint Masters Project’ explored theoperation of joint degree programmes. The more recent EUA ‘DoctoralProgrammes Project’ is promoting cooperation and mutual learning in thedevelopment of joint doctoral programmes at European level.

The European Commission’s Erasmus Mundus mobility programme offersstudents and scholars from third countries scholarships to study Masterscourses offered by consortia of universities in three or more different Europeancountries.

UK responseJoint degrees, based on carefully-designed joint study programmes, have thepotential to provide students and staff with the opportunity to acquire languageskills and cultural maturity. A flexible approach to the design, length and criteriafor joint programmes is important to ensure that students from a range of studypaths can participate in them. The UK HE Europe Unit is, however, aware of plansto reform university charters to allow for award of joint degrees. The UK’s QualityAssurance Agency has also recently produced a second edition of a ‘Code ofPractice for Collaborative Provision’.

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Further informationRecommendations from Bologna seminar on Joint Degrees in Stockholm: www.bologna-berlin2003.de/pdf/Stockholm_results.pdf

Recommendation on the Recognition of Joint Degrees:www.bologna-bergen2005.no/EN/Other/Lisbon_Recdoc/040609_Recommendation_joint_degrees.pdf

Erasmus Mundus programme:europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/mundus/index_en.html

EUA Joint Master’s Project: www.eua.be/eua/en/projects_joint.jspx

EUA Doctoral Programmes Project:www.eua.be/eua/en/Doctoral_Programmes.jspx

QAA Code of Practice for Collaborative Provision:www.qaa.ac.uk/public/COP/cprovis/contents.htm

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Action Line 7

Lifelong learning

IntroductionThe Bologna Process has identified lifelong learning as an essential element ofthe European Higher Education Area and its expansion has become one of theguiding principles for the development of all education and training policy inEurope. It affects all aspects of European higher education - mobilityprogrammes, eLearning, research, vocational education, recognition ofqualifications – and is a fundamental objective of the Bruges-CopenhagenProcess (see below). It has been identified by the European Union (EU) as havinga central role to play in achieving the EU’s goal of the Lisbon Strategy “to makethe EU the world's most competitive and dynamic knowledge economy in theworld”.

Recent developmentsAt the 2003 Berlin summit Ministers called for qualifications frameworks to“encompass the wide range of flexible learning paths, opportunities andtechniques” and to make appropriate use of the ECTS credits.

The European Commission’s so-called Bruges-Copenhagen Process is workingon enhanced European cooperation in vocational education and training (VET).The Bruges-Copenhagen Process is aiming to establish a credit system for VETand common reference levels. The European Union’s proposals for education andtraining programmes to replace the current Socrates programme include plansfor an integrated framework geared towards lifelong learning.

UK responseThe UK welcomes lifelong learning as an essential part of the Bologna Process. Itviews this form of learning as a way of increasing competitiveness, and as aninstrument of social cohesion. The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework(SCQF) and the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW) supportlifelong learning by incorporating all levels of education into single qualificationsframeworks. The Scottish Executive has also published a Lifelong LearningStrategy. The recent report of the Measuring and Recording Student AchievementGroup, chaired by Professor Robert Burgess, recommends that a national creditsystem be developed in England in the interests of lifelong learning and as aninstrument for developing qualifications frameworks.

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Constructive developments within the Bruges-Copenhagen Process and theBologna Process should complement, and not duplicate, one another. Efforts toinclude vocational education and training in a framework of qualifications forEurope are welcome although a proliferation of levels in such a framework wouldbe undesirable. For up-to-date information on qualifications frameworks and theBruges-Copenhagen Process please contact: info@europeunit.ac.uk.

Further informationThe Bruges-Copenhagen Process:www.europa.eu.int/comm/education/copenhagen/index_en.html

Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF): www.scqf.org.uk

Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW):www.elwa.ac.uk/elwaweb/elwa.aspx?pageid=1612

The Burgess report:www.bookshop.universitiesuk.ac.uk/downloads/measuringachievement.pdf

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Jan Figel, European Commissioner for Education,Culture and Multilingualism

© European Community, 2005

Action Line 8

Higher education institutions and students

IntroductionHigher education institutions and students have a vital role to play in the BolognaProcess and Ministers have called upon them to become involved in forming adiverse and adaptable European Higher Education Area. The European HEumbrella bodies: the European University Association (EUA) and the EuropeanAssociation of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) provide a presence forinstitutions in the Bologna Process. The National Union of Students in Europe(ESIB) represents students in Europe and plays an active role in Bologna Processdebates. These umbrella organisations are consultative Members of the BolognaFollow-Up Group and Board.

Recent DevelopmentsThe Berlin ministerial summit in 2003, building on the Prague Communiqué,recognised that it is “the active participation of all partners in the Process thatwill ensure its long-term success”. And the Bologna Process has acknowledgedthe necessity for institutions "to be empowered to take decisions on their internalorganisation and administration".

The Berlin summit also noted that students are full partners in higher educationgovernance and stressed the need for “appropriate studying and living conditionsfor the students”.

UK responseIn the UK, Universities UK, the Standing Conference of Principals and theNational Union of Students engage in the Bologna Process through theirrespective European umbrella organisations. The UK HE sector has establishedthe UK HE Europe Unit to raise awareness of European issues and coordinate UKinvolvement in Bologna Process debates. Representatives of institutions andstudents sit on the UK HE Europe Unit’s High Level Policy Forum and officer-ledEuropean Coordinating Group to inform the policy positioning of the Unit. AtEuropean level, it is vital that representatives of higher education institutions andstudents are full partners in the Bologna Process. It is therefore essential thatthe EUA, EURASHE and ESIB participate alongside government representativesin the Bologna decision-making forums, in particular at the ministerial summit inBergen in May 2005. The full report of the EUA’s Trends IV survey on institutions’perspectives of ‘Bologna’ has an invaluable role to play in the official BolognaProcess stocktaking exercise, which assesses how the Bologna Process isprogressing towards meeting its objectives.

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Further informationEuropean University Association: www.eua.be

European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE):www.eurashe.be

National Union of Students in Europe (ESIB): www.esib.org

UK High Level Policy Forum and European Coordinating Group:www.europeunit.ac.uk/about_us/index.cfm

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© European Community, 2005

Action Line 9

Promoting the attractiveness of the European Higher Education Area

IntroductionOne of the founding objectives of the Bologna Process was to enhance thecompetitiveness of European higher education in a global market. The aim is thatthe creation of a coherent and transparent European Higher Education Area withcompatible and high quality HE systems will make European HE more attractiveto the rest of the world.

Recent developmentsThe European Union’s ‘Erasmus Mundus’ mobility programme was launched in2004 to strengthen links between EU member States and non-EU countriesthrough the creation of 250 new inter-university Masters courses. It also providesEU-funded scholarships for third country nationals studying in the EU, and for EUnationals studying in non-EU countries.

The Prague ministerial summit opened Bologna Process seminars andconferences to representatives from around the world. And as the BolognaProcess expands to 43 Members at the Bergen summit, the European HigherEducation Area will be almost double the size of the European Union.

UK responseThe UK, which has been consistently successful in attracting internationalstudents, has been committed to a strategy of international competitiveness forsome time, through the Prime Minister’s Initiative (PMI) and other developments.The UK government and devolved administrations have funded the BritishCouncil to launch a major five-year world-wide marketing initiative to encourageinternational students to study in the UK. This campaign includes the brandinginitiative, EducationUK, designed to help UK HEIs promote themselves.

The Wales International Consortium (WIC) represents all twelve higher educationinstitutions in Wales and is a unique example of an entire sector workingstrategically together for shared benefit. It actively promotes Wales as adesirable and effective study destination for international students, featuringattractive learning, research and career opportunities and competitive, affordablequality education.

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The Bologna Process has the potential to enhance the attractiveness of EuropeanHE to the outside world as European HE becomes more structured andcomprehensive. It is vital that the UK is fully engaged in the Process to enable itto benefit from the increased competitiveness of the European Higher EducationArea. As an increasing number of continental HEIs are offering programmestaught in English, it is also crucial that the UK engages in the creation of theEuropean Higher Education Area to ensure that UK institutions remain active andcompetitive in the European market.

Further informationErasmus Mundus programme:www.europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/mundus/index_en.html

Education UK: www.educationuk.orgWales International Consortium: www.walesinternationalconsortium.com

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Action Line 10

Doctoral studies and the synergy between the European Higher Education Area(EHEA) and the European Research Area (ERA)

Introduction The Bologna Process sees research as an integral part of European highereducation. Meeting in Berlin in 2003, higher education Ministers considered itnecessary to include the doctoral level as the third cycle in the Bologna Process.In doing so, the link between the Bologna Process to create the European HigherEducation Area and the European Union’s Lisbon objective to develop a EuropeanResearch Area (ERA) was strengthened.

Recent DevelopmentsIn 2003 the European Commission published a Communication on ‘Universities inthe Europe of Knowledge’ on the role of universities in achieving the EU’s Lisbongoal to become "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy inthe world by 2010". In a further Communication the Commission also consideredthe importance of professional career development for researchers in Europe.

The European University Association (EUA) has recently launched a DoctoralProgrammes Project to examine the development of existing doctoral courses.Several UK institutions are involved in the project, which aims to identifyessential conditions in the development of such programmes in Europe and topromote cooperation. It identifies good practice and compares standards. Theproject findings will be presented at a Bologna Process seminar in Salzburg inFebruary 2005 when recommendations will be made for the ministerial summitin May 2005.

UK response The incorporation of doctoral level qualifications into the Bologna Process hasthe potential to enhance doctoral level study in the UK by creating opportunitiesfor mobility and collaboration for staff and students. It also highlights theimportance of university-based research in the European Higher Education Areaand in the EU’s European Research Area. The UK calls for Bologna requirementsto remain flexible regarding the length and structure of the third cycle toaccommodate the diversity of doctoral level qualifications in Europe. Teacher-training should be an optional element of doctoral-level qualifications. Ahead ofthe EUA Salzburg seminar this action line remains work in progress. For furtherinformation on doctoral level qualifications within the Bologna Process contact:info@europeunit.ac.uk.

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Further informationEuropean Commission Communication on ‘Universities in the Europe ofKnowledge’, 2003: www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/cnc/2003/com2003_0058en01.pdf

European Research Area: www.europa.eu.int/comm/research/era/index_en.html

European Commission Conference on ‘The Europe of Knowledge 2020’ in Liège,2004:www.europe.eu.int/comm/research/conferences2004/univ/background_en.html

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© European Community, 2005

Glossary

AUT Association of University Teachers (www.aut.org.uk)BFUG Bologna Follow-Up Group (www.bologna-bergen2005.no)CoE Council of Europe (www.coe.int/portalT.asp)CQFW Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales

(www.elwa.org.uk)DTI Department of Trade and Industry (http://www.dti.gov.uk)DfES Department for Education and Skills (http://www.dfes.gov.uk)DS Diploma SupplementEC European Commission (www.europa.eu.int/comm/index_en.htm)ECTS European Credit Transfer and accumulation System

(www.europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/socrates/ects_en.html)

EC (UK) Engineering Council UK (www.engc.org.uk)ECVET European Credit Transfer System for Vocational Education and

TrainingENIC-NARIC National Recognition Information Centres (www.enic-naric.net)EHEA European Higher Education AreaENQA European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education

(formerly ‘Network’) (www.enqa.net)ERA European Research AreaERC European Research CouncilESIB National Unions of Students in Europe (www.esib.org)EU European Union (www.europa.int)EUA European University Association (www.eua.be)EURASHE European Association of Institutions in Higher Education

(www.eurashe.be)EWNI England, Wales and Northern IrelandFP EU Framework Programme (for research)FP6 Sixth Framework Programme

(www.europa.eu.int/comm/research/fp6/index_en.html)FP7 Seventh Framework ProgrammeGATS General Agreement on Trade in Services

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HEFCE The Higher Education Funding Council for England (www.hefce.ac.uk)

HEFCW Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (www.hefcw.ac.uk)HE Higher educationHEI Higher education institutionHEURO Association of UK Higher Education European Officers

(http://www.heuro.org/)HEW Higher Education Wales (www.hew.ac.uk)JQI Joint Quality Initiative (www.jointquality.org)NAFTHE University and College Lecturers’ Union (www.natfhe.org.uk)NUS National Union of Students (www.nusonline.co.uk)OMC Open Method of CoordinationOST Office of Science and Technology (www.ost.gov.uk)QAA The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

(www.qaa.ac.uk)R&D Research and DevelopmentRAE Research Assessment Exercise (www.rae.ac.uk)SCOP Standing Conference of Principals (www.scop.ac.uk)SCQF Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (www.scqf.org.uk)SHEFC The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council

(www.shefc.ac.uk)UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

(www.unesco.org)UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation CEPES European Centre for Higher Education (www.cepes.ro)UK NARIC The UK National Academic Recognition Information Centre

(www.naric.org.uk)UKRO UK Research Office (www.ukro.ac.uk)UKSEC UK Socrates Erasmus Council (www.erasmus.ac.uk)UUK Universities UK (www.universitiesuk.ac.uk)US Universities Scotland (www.universities-scotland.ac.uk)WIC Wales International Consortium

(www.walesinternationalconsortium.com)WTO World Trade Organisation (www.wto.org)

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The UK HE Europe Unit

The UK HE Europe Unit is a sector-wideinitiative aiming to strengthen the positionof the UK HE sector in EU and BolognaProcess policy-making forums. The Unithas three primary objectives. First, it actsas a central observatory of Europeanhigher education and major researchissues and informs all HEIs andstakeholders accordingly. Second, it seeksto coordinate UK involvement in Europeaninitiatives and policy debates. Third,where possible, it produces collective UKstatements in key areas of EU policy,lobbying to support them as appropriate.

The UK HE Europe Unit is jointly funded byUniversities UK and the three highereducation funding councils for England,Scotland and Wales and is supported bythe Standing Conference of Principals(SCOP) and the Quality Assurance Agency(QAA). The Unit works closely with theDepartment for Education and Skills, theScottish Executive and the WelshAssembly Government. The Departmentfor Employment and Learning in NorthernIreland is also kept informed of the Unit’sactivities. The Unit is supported by a largenumber of UK higher educationorganisations, including the BritishCouncil, the Association of UK HEEuropean Officers (HEURO), the UKResearch Office (UKRO), the BritishCouncil, the UK Socrates-ErasmusCouncil, the British Academy, theUniversity and College Lecturers’ Union(NAFTHE), the Association of University

Teachers (AUT) and the National Union ofStudents (NUS).

A High Level Policy Forum (HLPF) and anofficer-led European Coordinating Group(ECG) comprising representatives from keyHE sector organisations inform the policypositioning of the UK HE Europe Unit.

For further information on the UK HEEurope Unit or the issues raised in thisbooklet please contact:

Tish Bourke UK HE Europe Unit ManagerTel: +44 (0)20 7419 5405e-mail: Tish.Bourke@UniversitiesUK.ac.uk

Jessica Olley EU/Bologna Process OfficerTel: +44 (0)20 7419 5423e-mail: Jessica.Olley@UniversitiesUK.ac.uk

Richard Ellis Communications OfficerTel: +44 (0)20 7419 5421e-mail: Richard.Ellis@UniversitiesUK.ac.uk

Visit the UK HE Europe Unit website atwww.europeunit.ac.uk. The site is updatedregularly and contains all Unit publicationsincluding Europe Notes and monthly andweekly European newsletters.

The UK HE Europe Unit is grateful to AnneCorbett from the London School ofEconomics for writing the technicalsections of this booklet.

© The Europe UnitISBN 1 84036 115 8 January 2005